Posts Tagged ‘Cholesterol Levels’

Cholesterol is not the one that imposes threat for our health. It is bad cholesterol we should avoid. They are usually common among adults because they are related to ailments like diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension. And these ailments are quiet common with adults rather than our younger generation. So if we’re talking about lowering cholesterol, it means stopping the growth of bad cholesterol in our body.

Two kinds of cholesterol are present in our body. One of this is bad cholesterol. This type of cholesterol is a low-density lipoprotein and is harmful because it can cause atheroma. A condition where our arteries clog, atheroma can cause fat streaks in our arteries or plaque them. If we don’t pay attention to them, our body accumulates lots of macrophage white blood cells. This could happen to a child even before turning the age of 10.

Actually, the early signs of this could start at the age before 5 years. And while we grow up, this could slowly collect in our veins.

Mostly, the real symptoms appear after a more dangerous ailment like heart attack or stroke. And in this case, it is already too late for the patient to recover. The effects of this may not cause fatality to patients but it can cause long term disability.

It is surprising to know when you go to a lab test, and find out your cholesterol level. Your cholesterol level will not reflect in what you see in your body. You may look healthy and yet have a very high cholesterol level in your body. This build-up of cholesterol in our body is caused by small intakes of cholesterol everyday that compiled for years as we grow up.

It’s not really puzzling on how bad cholesterol builds up in our body. It’s in the food we eat everyday that contains high levels of fats. If you’re fond of eating foods packed in canned goods, better check for the labels if it contains high levels of cholesterol through the fat value it has. This is not just the point to ponder when you want to be cautious of cholesterol in your body.

Cholesterol is not created right away from the diet we eat. It undergoes through a process and metabolizes first in our body. It is not mainly composed of only our diet alone. There are other contributing factors that make it as a whole cholesterol. But you must take into account that there is also good cholesterol present in this universe which helps in the body’s function like producing bile and regulation of vitamins that are fat soluble, like Vitamin K, D, E, and A.

Cholesterol has also an effect on the production of body hormones in our body. After it is consumed in our body, it produces excess lipids in our liver and gall bladder in the form of crystal particles. The reason it becomes a bad cholesterol, is it is not water soluble, meaning it just circulates over and over in our body and converts to bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins). For people with healthy metabolism, bad cholesterol is less likely to happen because the fats don’t accumulate well in the body. Bad cholesterol is the ones that comes in small sizes and get trapped in our veins and clogs. The good ones are those that come in large quantities.

Lowering cholesterol means avoiding those that are composed of animal meats and fats, specifically pork and beef. It is not in the genes or a hereditary factor. It maybe easy to put this in mind but it takes discipline to avoid these foods when being served.

You see your doctor every six months for a checkup. During this time, he checks your cholesterol to see how your levels are looking. If your levels are high, he may suggest some things you can do to help lower your cholesterol, and then make an appointment to check your levels again in six months. But what if you want to check your cholesterol more often? Is there a way to keep closer tabs on your cholesterol levels than just seeing your doctor every six months?
There are several ways to test your cholesterol levels at home. Your local pharmacy or drugstore probably stocks or can order a wide variety of these home cholesterol kits. Some of these kits are similar to a blood glucose meter while others use a litmus type test.
One of the least expensive of these home cholesterol tests allows you to place a drop of blood on a chemically treated pad. After a short period of time, you compare the resulting color on the chemical pad with a color chart which gives you a general idea of your cholesterol level. These tests are inexpensive and are ideal for those who just want to get a general idea of how their cholesterol levels are looking.
For those who want more specific results, there are also cholesterol meters available for sale. These cholesterol testers work much like a blood glucose monitor and give you a more precise reading than the litmus-type tests. To use these testers, you place a drop of blood on a test strip which is inserted into the cholesterol meter. You are then given a specific number that represents your total cholesterol level.
If you plan to check your cholesterol at home, there are some important factors to keep in mind. First, your cholesterol will not change drastically from day-to-day. Therefore, there is no reason to check your cholesterol every day. It will take at least one week for any diet or exercise changes to make a difference in your cholesterol level. It is also important to test your cholesterol at the same time each day. The best time to check your cholesterol level is in the morning before
breakfast.
Also, an at-home cholesterol check will only give you a total cholesterol level. There are no home tests yet that will discover both an HDL and LDL cholesterol level. In fact, the only way to find out your LDL or bad cholesterol level is to have your doctor conduct a fasting blood cholesterol test. While doctors sometimes conduct a nonfasting cholesterol test, only the total and HDL levels of these tests will be accurate.
If you want to keep a closer eye on your cholesterol level that just seeing your doctor every so often, there are various cholesterol tests and testers to choose from. Depending on how much money you want to spend on a tester you can get a general idea of how high your cholesterol is or you can get a pinpointed number.

Fundamental rules:

Two types of foods have to be well known: the saturated fat and the foods rich in cholesterol . The saturated fat is your principal enemy. They relate to primarily animal fat (solid at ambient temperature) with an exclusion with the fish fat. But the sea food has a huge level of cholesterol. Sea food is good for a diet but not for people affected by the cholesterol. What a paradox!

The practice:

Used fats are vegetables and are useful for cooking or accompanying foods (olive oil, grape pips oil, vegetable margarine).

The dairy products which you consume without restriction will be always with a very low fat level. The regular milk contains animal fats. Therefore, you only can consume skimmed milk. And the light cheeses have to be consumed with moderation.

Bread, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables can be consumed without moderation.

White meats (with an exception with the pork) and fishes are the best friends.

A place of choice is reserved with the apple rich in pectin whose regular consumption cause a drop in cholesterol.

It is the same with the red wine. With moderated consumption (two daily glasses), it contributes to the reduction of the cholesterol.

Certain modes of cooking must be privileged (will be discussed in a future article).

A diet with your doctor must be checked and monitored, especially in the beginning. We advice you to meet your doctor at least once a month.

These regular visits have two essential goals. First of all, you have to control your results.

You must make sure that the objectives to reach were obtained. With the control of your weight, you have to use all the time the same balance and if possible at the same time. You have to make a blood test at the end of two, four and six months.

Secondly, you will be better informed. You can put to your doctor all the questions which will not fail to be binding on you and and thus to make preciser certain particular points in connection with your personality.

In the event of insufficient results the doctor will ask you to fill a book or a notebook on which you will note each day the exact composition of all your meals. By reading this document, your doctor will be able to correct the large or small errors which you sometimes have done unconsciously.

Lightened butter and margarine:

The regular butter is very rich in cholesterol (250mg for 100 grams). In comparison, a fish contains ten times less cholesterol. Also lightened butters with 41% fat initially appeared and at present with only 25% fat. Thus, that contains four times less animal fat and cholesterol.

The margarine consists of a homogeneous mixture (blending) of fat and water. One calls that an emulsion. It is clear that the margarine’s manufactured from animal fat are contra-indicated in your diet. Their only interest is their attractive price. The vegetable margarine is much healthier, easy to spread out on a piece of bread but there are more expensive.

A little revolution:

The recent arrival on the market in margarine’s enriched with vegetable sterols represents a considerable progress in the field of fight against cholesterol. Indeed, these sterols are supposed to reduce the rate of bad cholesterol, cholesterol LDL. The manufacturers announces a fall from 10 to 15% of the cholesterol LDL for a daily consumption of 20 grams of the product for one month within the framework of a well followed diet.

More info about how you can end up with your cholesterol will be presented in the next articles with these subjects: fishes and sea foods, meats and fat materials, is the wine your enemy, 3 lists (good fats and the bad fats, false friends of the cholesterol’s and the black list of the foods very rich in cholesterol), best modes of cooking, An enemy not to be underestimated: sugar, ten rules to follow, test your future level of cholesterol with a list of questions, the eight sauces accompanying the meats and fishes, medicine against cholesterol is not the ransom of glory, the sport: an essential complement with your sport), Breakfast, One week of menus, Desserts and Receipt of Christmas eve.

When you hear the word cholesterol, what is your immediate reaction, or what comes first in your mind? Many people worry when they hear the word cholesterol. They perceive it as something that is always bad for the health. It is always associated with heart problems like hypertension and heart attack. But what cholesterol really is what it does to our body and health.Cholesterol Defined

Cholesterol is a kind of fat or lipid found in the bloodstream and almost all parts of the body. It is a soft waxy substance in the bodyâ??s cells. Cholesterol is very useful because it is a component in forming cell membranes, some hormones. It is also needed for other body functions. Many of this substance is produced naturally inside of our bodies and some are from the food that we eat.

Cholesterol is not really a dangerous substance but it is actually one of those substances that our body needs to keep us healthy. However, it should be understood that there are two kinds of which, the good and bad cholesterol.The Good and Bad

Since cholesterol is a kind of fat, it can not be directly dissolved in the blood. This substance is carried into and from the cell by another substance called lipoproteins. High-density lipoproteins or HDL is the good ones. This kind protects the body from heart diseases because the cholesterol is carried away from the arteries where fats could build up. It is also believed to remove other cholesterol from the arteries. This kind of cholesterol, however, should be maintained and monitored, because low level of this can also increase the risk of heart problems.

Bad cholesterol is known as the low-density lipoproteins or LDL. This kind highly contributes to the build up of plaque in the inner walls of the arteries. High levels of both compounds in the blood causes major risk of coronary diseases that could lead to heart attack.Sources of Cholesterol

Though LDL is primarily produced in the body, the cholesterol from our food intake still contributes a lot to the total cholesterol count. Seventy five percent of our body cholesterol is produced inside and the remaining 25 percent comes from food. Almost all food that we take in everyday contains cholesterol and many of these foods contain large amounts.

Topmost of the list of food that contains large amounts of cholesterol is a food familiar to all and could be bought in almost all fast food chains and restaurants. Chicken and egg contains the highest count. These two are followed by livers, sea foods and Thanksgiving Day favorite turkey.

Unknowingly, our body cholesterol is also affected by hereditary means. There are some genes inherited from our parents or even grandparents that cause the cholesterol in our body to be too much produced.Cholesterol Levels

Everyone should monitor cholesterol count because too much or too low cholesterol in the body bring a lot of sickness. The cholesterol count includes both the good and bad, both those produced inside the body and those that are acquired from food intake.Cholesterol counts are determined through a blood test. Each person has a unique physicality that is why an individual should consult a doctor to know the cholesterol count that should be maintained. It is recommended especially people ages 20 and older to have lipoprotein fasting and test at least once in every five years. Consult a doctor for necessary medical routine before your cholesterol would be tested. Usually, doctors ask their patients to go on 10 to 12 hour fasting, meaning no food or pills taken. This determines the exact amount of good and bad cholesterol present in your blood and cells.

There are a lot of misconceptions about cholesterol especially with the food in take that make self-diagnosing patients worry about their health. As such, the best option is consultation to experts and living a healthy lifestyle.

Cholesterol levels are being tested all over the world in order to determine risk factors for heart disease, yet  many people are confused by their cholesterol numbers and how they are expressed.  Part of this confusion may stem from the fact that literature originating in the United States gives cholesterol levels in units that are different from those used in Canada, Europe, and a good portion of the rest of the developed world.  So when you are looking for information to help you understand your test results, on the internet and elsewhere, you might not  understand the numbers that are reported in the American literature because they might look quite different from the cholesterol numbers on your lab report.

The United States reports cholesterol levels in mg/dL (milligrams per decilitre) of blood.  The rest of the world is using the measurement called mmol (or millimoles per litre).  Without going back to basic chemistry from high school, let’s just say  that they are different measurements. So is it any wonder that these two ways of expressing your cholesterol numbers are so different?

Here is how the two different systems of measurement stack up for desirable cholesterol numbers.

As expressed in the system of measurement used in the United States

However, as expressed in the SI units (International System of Measurement) that most of the world is using the numbers are stated differently. (You can remember which letters refer to the good and the bad stuff by remembering it this  way…H stands for healthy  and L stands for lousy.)

Can you see the difference in how the cholesterol numbers are expressed?  The difference of course is in the units that are being measured. Think of it like metric and imperial measures. Your weight in pounds might be a three digit number but in kilograms it could be a two digit number. Same weight different measurements.

Understanding the Cholesterol Ratio

When used to determine if you have cholesterol risk factors for heart disease it is not the specific levels that are analyzed but rather the ratio of HDL in your total lipid profile. This number is called the cholesterol ratio and it gives an indication of how much of your total cholesterol is the “good” stuff.

The reason this is important is because the HDL is so beneficial, if it is present is sufficient quantities it  has a protective effect and  the LDL in your system cannot do as much damage.  So even if your LDL is higher than the desired levels, if the HDL is high as well and the ratio comes within the desired range then the risk of heart disease is less.

The goal is to keep the cholesterol ratio below 5:1; the optimum ratio is 3.5. The cholesterol ratio comes in at the same number no matter which system of measurement is used. The cholesterol ratio is obtained by dividing the total cholesterol number by the value given for the HDL. For example, if a you have a total cholesterol of 240 mg/dL and an HDL of 60 mg/dL,  the ratio is 4. Using the SI system of measurement if the total cholesterol is 7.20 mmol/L and the HDL is 1.8 mmol/L  the ratio is still 4.

You can see how this is a better way of understanding the cholesterol risk factors for heart disease and expressing it this way can prevent confusion that might result from not being familiar with the units that are used. This information is also helpful for understanding why the strategies recommended  for cholesterol imbalances work. Some of the best strategies are the ones that raise the HDL levels.  In particular, exercise has been found to be one of the best ways to improve the cholesterol ratio because it raises HDL levels.  By contrast smoking has been found to lower HDL levels so no exercise and smoking is a recipe for low HDL levels, a poor cholesterol ratio, and a higher risk for heart disease.

Cholesterol is found in every cell of the body and is essential for the maintenance of good health.  Low cholesterol levels have been associated with poor health so the goal is not to eliminate or reduce cholesterol entirely but to obtain the desirable levels of each type so that the protective benefits of the HDL can work for you in maintaining good health.

So don’t get mixed up when trying to understand your cholesterol levels.  No matter what way the numbers are expressed the message is the same.  You want to have enough of the good stuff and not so much of the bad stuff in order to reduce your risk factors for heart disease.